Robbie Brady remembers the moment he shaped to shoot and his momentum took him crashing into Harry Maguire. One year on, he will finally return for Republic of Ireland against Northern Ireland on Thursday.

'I could not have ran into anyone worse in the world!' said the Burnley midfielder of his clash with the Leicester defender.

'I ended up in a tackle with him and the patella tendon in my knee completely ruptured.' Now that he is back for club and country, Brady is at least able to laugh.

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'Harry is a good mate of mine from Hull and he helped me in a way because I'd had tendinitis in my knee for a couple of years, a burning sensation every day,' he explained. 'So at least that's gone now, even though I've had a year out to get rid of it!'

By modern standards, the length of the 26-year-old's absence has been a long one and, as he reveals, not without its problems.

'I had the op on December 6 so I was laid up over Christmas, which was difficult, hobbling around on crutches and trying to open presents with my daughter. You forget how much you need your knee!' said Brady.

The Republic of Ireland international played against Leicester for Burnley in a recent match

'It ended up healing too well and it got stuck, so I had to go back for a second mini operation, which put the bend back into it. Little things like that you don't expect.

'At the start I was feeling sorry for myself and thinking, "Why did it happen to me?". It was probably 10 months near enough working on my own.

'But there are a lot worse things happening in the world than me hurting my knee. You have ups and downs throughout but you just have to get to grips with it and get on with it.

'One of my first games back against Hull Under 23s, a young lad came through my knee, a straight leg, I had a little word, told him to calm down. But I came through it. So it's solid, as strong as it's ever been.

'It's been hard watching, I just can't wait to play now.'

The midfielder quickly earned a place in the senior national side following his return to fitness